February 22, 2010

Etsy, an up and coming if not already prominent art based site on the web, has gained the reputation of fitting the checklist for a second-wave-dot-com success. This site, similar to eBay, has been thriving off of artisans work while keeping the integrity of the pieces and the type of site it is.

I have actually been on Etsy’s site many times and find it really fascinating to see what they have picked up and from whom. The user-generated content has not only helped both the artist and them gain a profit, but has kept alive this feel of original art unaffected by corporations or mainstream trends.

The way this online business was created sounds similar to the way Google and other small starting big idea organizations have, so it is easy to see how people think it has the ability to be a dot com success. This made me wonder…what other sites offer artists a place to show and sell their original work for Internet surfers and art enthusiasts to discover?

One site I realized was somewhat similar to Etsy, as well as one I was purchasing from, is called Threadless. This site allows artists to design the prints and art on t-shirts and present it on this site to the public. Etsy also harnesses the power of word-of-mouth and content created by artists. So maybe this is another user-generated, art based site that may be another dot com success.

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I think some of the online auction sites are organized based on the date items are placed on the site and the popularity of the type of item. Many times the popularity of the item is decided not by the site but by the people who visit and their ranking of objects.

This lends itself to interactivity in that people are placing their original items or previously owned stuff (making this user-generated content) on a site for sale. Much like the Threadless and Etsy site I talked about above. Other interactivity includes the ability for shoppers to choose what items they want to view and even choose what price range or the time they were posted online. There is also a feedback option where people can rate not only quality of what’s being sold, but the quality of the person shipping the item to them.